This month we’ve been talking a little about getting or staying organized (read more here and here). We’ve mostly talked so far about things inside the house. Let’s talk about a place where I spend a lot of my time: the car.

Now, I probably spend more time in a car than a lot of people but I think an organized car is a must if possible. Sadly, I don’t always get to keep mine as clean as organized as I would like {I have two kids after all} but I am trying.
Let’s talk about some ways to keep a clean and organized the car though.

Clean your car floor mats.

Yes, I know that sounds simple. But, clean floor mats in a car make such a different in the overall feel of how clean a car really is. Plus, then, you don’t have to worry about what you are tracking in and out of your house. To start out, I would actually suggest getting the car fully detailed but at minimum, I suggest sprucing up the floor mats.

Have a place for trash.

This is an absolute must in our cars because our kids are constantly generating some kind of trash…tissues, fruit snack wrappers, etc.

Have a place for kid stuff.

The hanging seat back organizers are great for storing kid stuff. We use Thirty One organizing totes to hold a blanket, toys and games for each of our kids. They are small enough and have handles so the kids can pick them up or pack them.  When we are going on longer trips, I add a drink and snacks right to the bags to ensure they will have something for along the way.

Make a car emergency kit.
Hopefully, you already have a roadside emergency kit with things like jumper cables and flares. I’m talking about a kid/family emergency kit that includes things like bottled water, advil, an extra change of clothes for the kids, sunscreen, etc. We keep ours in the organizing utility tote from Thirty One but there are lots of options for making something like this.

Make a Spot for the Paper
Get a glove compartment sized folder to put all of the important paperwork in. The manuals for a lot of cars come in a little zip around pouch which is perfect for this. Each January is a good time to check and make the sure the right paperwork is in there!

So, there you have a few of my “get the car clean and organized” tips. Do you have any to share?